Sound-reproducing machine



Jan; 29, 1929. 1,700,397

W. E. BIRKET I SOUND REPRODUCING IQKCHINE Filed Sept. 29, 1924 4 Sheets-Shet 1 f2 gwntoc 1 W Efiiirki 7 UN; nu;

v w. E..BIIRKET I SOUND REPRODUCING MACHINE Filed Sept. 29; 1924 v 4 Sheets-Sheet 2" Guam;

gwwmtoz W. E. BIRKET SOUND REPRODUCING MACHINE Filed Sept. 29, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Jan. 29,1929. 1,700,397

v Jan. 29; 1929.

W. E. BIRKET SOUND REPRODUCING MACHINE Filed Sept. 29, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 nvhtot v W- E.E.z'rkEZ,

Patented Jan, 29, 1929..

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SOUND-REPRODUCING .MACHINE Application filed September 29, 1924. Serial No. 740,631.- I

This invention pertains to improvements 1n sound reproducing machines.

The main object of the invention'is to prorepeated again and again or until the action is terminated manually; and that also the mechanism may be rendered inoperativejwhe-n' desired to reproduce any given record independently, in the customary way.

Another object is to furnish means by which v the needle-arm of a sound reproducingmachine may be automatically stationed atthe proper starting point on a record disc without the necessityof specially grooving the latter as has been done in the past when used on'certain machines, o

Still another object is to furnish-mechal'llS1'l'l by which the sound reproducing parts may be caused to automatically take up the proper position in the record groove of any one of a stack of record discs regardless of the diameter of the discs or the position they may occupy relatively.

In addition, certain advantages are present in the machine of my invention due to the structures employed, which structures will form the subject of the appended claims.

in the accompanying drawings forming part hereof.

Figure 1 isa plan of my improved sound reproducing machine.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same on line 2-2, Figure 1.

' Figure 3 is a plan of parts shown in Figure 1 but produced on a much larger scale.

Figure 4 is an elevation of parts shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an elevation of parts illustrated in Figure 3 produced substantially full size, and shown in part section on line 5''5, Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a vertical section of means for tilting a sound box and needle arm, taken on line 6-6, Fig. 3.

Figure 7 is a plan of certain mechanism employed in my reproducing machine produced full size on line 77, Figure 2.

Figure 8 is a side elevation of the same a seen beyond line 88, Figure 1.

Figure 9 is a plan of certain mechanism shown in Figure 8 illustrated by themselves to Inake them more clearly understood.

Flgures 10 and 11 are elevations of certain parts shown in Figure 9 with certain parts in section as seen on lines 10-10 and 1111 respectively of the latter figure.

Figure 12 is an elevation, in part section,

of certain parts used as driving connections on line 1212 Figure 7.

Figureslii andl l are respectivel a plan and an elevation'in detail of parts 0 what is shown in Figure 12, the former. on line 1313,

' Figure 18 to follow, and 14 on 1ine.1414,

Figure 13.

Figure 15 is an elevation of certain parts illustrated in Figure 5 together with other parts not shown in said figure.

Figure 16 is an elevation of parts shown in Figure 7 on line 1616 of that figure.-

Figure 17 is an elevation of parts as would be seen on line 17 17, Figure 7, one of said parts being shown'in section.

Figure 18 is an elevation of parts shown in Figure 12 together with other portions to operate therewith, and

Figure 19 is an elevation of a controlling switch.

The body-of the machine indicatedby the spring motors, or it may be an electric motor, one such being designated at 5 1n the drawfee such, for example, as one of the customary ings,the same being operatively connected to the said shaft 2 in any approved fashion.

' Mounted upon the top of the body 2 is a frame for carrying certain operating parts to be described. In this instance, saidfranie consists of two spaced plates 6 held inrigiol relation by spacers 7, Figures 7 and 8.: A shaft 8 is journaled in the plates to which rotation is imparted through a shaft 9 geared thereto in any desired manner, said -shaft. 9

receiving its motionfrom the shaft 2 through beveled gears 10 and 11, for example. Fi ure 2. In said figure the shaft 8 and the said .1) ates are shown but none of the mechanism lying.

res

between the plates has been shown since produced clearlyin other figures on a large scale. An amplifying horn 2'v is shown within the body 1, there being a vertically disposed sound carrying tube 12' depending into it over which is slidable, vertically, a. larger tube 13 upon whose upper end 1s carried a I sound box 14 best shown in Figures 3 and 5.

The said sound box has the usual diaphragm 15 and includes at its lower side a tubular extension 16 which depends into the upper open end of the tube 13, Figure 6, the said boxbeing pivotally supported at 17' upon a.

rotating head 17 free to turn on said tube. A stud 18 depends from a cross-bar 19 at the otherwise open lower end of the extension 16 whose purpose will appear later.

The sound box carries an arm 20 extending some distance therefrom or a distance substantially equal to the'measurement between rock and carries a reproducing needle 22, it

being understood at this time th t the axis of the pivot at 17 for the sound ox lies at right angles to the arm 20 so that the latter 'with its rod 21 can be raised and lowered at the free end. Since the shaft 2 carrying the discs 4 may be of any length, and may carry any number ofdiscs, the tube 13 carrying the sound box 14 may beof a length which on being raised and lowered, will accommodate itself to reproduce any one of the discs of the series. To this end there is secured tothe side of the tube a member 23, U-shaped in cross section, Figure 7, having an opening 24 extending vertically. One of the resulting edges at. the opening has a continuous series of teeth 25 extending along it, while the opposite edge is provided alternately with aseries of teeth 26 and spaces 27 as clearly shown in Figures 8 and 15. The top edge'in the opening 24 is likewise furnished with teeth 28'. H

The shaft 8 carries a beveled pinion 29 and meshing therewith is a similar pinion 30 affixed to a shaft 31 extending toward the tube 13 and having a pinion 32on its end lying within the opening 24 and adapted at times to engage any of the described teeth .of said member 23, but normally lying in one of the spaces 27. The shaft 31 is mounted in posts or bearings 33 aflixed to and upstanding from a plate 34 which plate is shiftable'in this instance upon the lower of the two plates 6 described, turning about or with respect to the said shaft 8 as a center, see F'igure'S,

whereby in the swing of said plate the pinion.

32 of said shaft 31 may be caused to enga e with either of the sets of teeth 25,-26 as will appear. A. worm 35 is affixed to the shaft 31 and is adapted at times to engage a wormwheel 36 affixed to, a shaft 37, Figures 7 and 18,- said shaft carrying, apinion 38 in mesh with a gear 39 splined on a shaft 40, the latter being adapted to turn with respect to said gear as will also appear. Secured to said gear 39 is one half of a clutch arrangement the'head 17, before described, of the sound box 14, and the lower end is journalcd in an arm 49 extending 'fr0m .the tube 13, Figures 2 and 8.

The pinion 44 meshes with a segment gear 49 mounted on an arbor 50 journaled in the plates 6, there being included a lever 51 provided with an extension 52 in position to be,

engaged by a cam 53 secured on a shaft 54. The latter carries at its lowerend a gear 55, which is free thereon and is in engagement with and driven by a pinion 56 on the shaft 8 just beneath the bevel pinion 29, Figure 8.

Adjacent the tube 13 is. a rock-shaft 57 journaled at its lower end in the described arm 49 and at its upper end in an arm 49 extending from the tube 13, in which, also, the mentioned shaft 40 is journaled. Said shaft 57 is provided at its upper end with a cam 58 aflixed to it adapted toengage' the head 59 of a push-pin 60 extending through the head 17, said pin having engagement with the described stem 18 of the soundbox 14. Secured to and extending from the shaft 57 is a lever-arm 61 which extends in the general direction of the shaft 54, the same having an extension 62, adapted to receive contact of a cam 63 on the said shaft 54. In addition, the said lever-arm 61 has a lateral extension 64' which in one of the movements of said lever is adapted to engage an adjust able stop 65 in one of the bearings 33 supporting the shaft 31. Aflixed to the shaft 54 just above the gear 55 is a plate 6'6 having a slot 67 therein ar-' ranged concentrically to the axis of rotation of said plate and having pivoted therein a pawl 67 adapted by gravity, for example, to fall into engagement with any one of a series of teeth v68 on the gear 55 arranged about the bedescribed. That is to say, in the lower of the two plates 6, Figures 8, 9 and 10 an arouate slot 69 is created as a guide for a pair of plates 70, one at each side of said plate 6, which are connected by pins 71 lying within the slot and serving as guiding means. Ex-

tending from the upper of the two plates 70 is an arm 72 to extend to and overlie part of theslot 67 of the plate 66 and serves when in that position to engage one end-of the pawl 67 to hold it free of the teeth 68, it being observed, Figure 9, that the slot 69 lies in such position with respect to the pawl 67 that the latter will be exposed when the arm 72 moves in the course indicated in dotted lines as the pins 71 traverse the slot 69. A spring 73 secured at one end to a post 74, for example, beneath the plate 6, and bearing at its other end against the lower of the two plates 7 0, serves to maintain the arm 7 2 upon the pawl 67 unti certain actions to be described herein occur. livoted on one of the pins 71 is a pawl'75, which by means of a suitable spring 76 is kept against a stop 7 7 of the upper plate 70. It is to be observed, now, that certain of the parts just described lie beneath the shaft 31. Further, it is to be made known that the worm 35 while directly connected to the said shaft 31 is slidablc along itand includes a hub 35' at whose outer end is a series of spurs or fingers 3. 2 normally rotating without result. operation of the machine, however, said spurs at times engage the free end of the pawl shifting it and the plate 7 0 with its arm 72 bodily alongthe slot 69, uided by the pin 71, drawing the said arm (2, rigid therewith, away from and uncovering the pawl 67' of the plate 66 releasing said pawl. A forked lever 7 7 pivoted on a bracket 78 of the plate 34 releasing said pawl, serves, through the spring 78"atta'ched thereto, and to,an extension 7 9 of said bracket 7 8, to elastically hold the spurs 35 normally away from said pawl 75. It will be clear that since the lever 77, fulcrumed between its ends, is actuated by the spring 78', Figure 9, the end of the lever bearing against the hub 35 will shift the latterto a position where the spurs will be clear of the ymwl 75 as in Figure 7'. It will also be clear from a study of Figure 10 that at such times as the hub may be moved so that the'spurs approach and lie opposite the end of the pawl as in Figure 9 one of them during rotation will engage the end of such pawl and cause the shifting action described, I

It has beenintimated that the tube 13 must be raised and lowered in order that the reproducing needle and the sound box may be properly located with respect to any recoroldisc. The pinion .32 of the shaft 31 is adapted'to impart a full raising movement to the said tube by engaging the teeth 25,.and to lower the same by engagement successively with each of the series of teeth 26 as, will be explained presently. Now, that the tube 13 may be properly guided in a free working manner I prefer, as one way to gain this result, to slot the tube longitudinally at diametrically opposite sides, for example, as indicated at 80, Figures 7 and 8, and to mount on the plates 6 flanged rollers 80' to engage In the understood in the description of the opera:-

tion. The manual operation is through two agencies one of which is a rock shaft 81, Fig- .lllGS 7 and 8, mounted in the plates 6. This shaft has. a hand lever 82 within easy reach when operating the machine manually and has a lowermost lever-arm 83, Figure 7, adapted to engage an extension 85 of the plate 34 for shifting the same. It also has an upper arm 84 which engages one end of a lever 86 for another purpose pivoted between its ends at 87 on the under side of the up er plate 6. The other end of said lever ex ends toward and lies in the path of movement of a pin 53' of the previously mentioned cam 53. The second manual operation involves the use of the lever arm 84 and its engagement with said lever 86 which latter lies'in a notch'88 of a spring-held latch 89 guided in a post 90, Figure 17, one end being adapted to enter any one.

of a series of openings 91 in the member 23 for supporting the tube 13 in any given position. A third manual operation is through the employmentof a sliding pin 92, Figures 7 and 8, extending through a slot 93 in the lower plate 6 and a slot 94 insaid plate 34.

.The slot 94 is an irregular one in that there is a notch 95 included therewith in which the said pin 92 may lie, as in. Figure 7, as one of its positions.

There is a further but more shallow notch at 96 in which said pin may lie as will appear:

in the descriptionof the operation. Controlling the pin 92 is a rod 97 fixed relatively to it, which as shown in Figure 2, extends to and is controlled by a slide 98 on the top of the body 1.

Slidable through the plate 6 back of one edge of the plate 34 is a pin 100 carrying a member 101 forming a limiting stop for the said plate. A spring 102 maintains downward pressure on the member holding it upon the lower plate 6 but permitting it to lift when and as the said pin is raised by contact therewith of a stud 103 projecting from the tube 13, Figure 8, in the upwardlimit'of movement of said tube. the member 101 permits the plate 34 to pass beneath it, Figure 7 due to the pressure of a suitable spring 104 held against the plate through a stud 105.

I provide a switch control for the motor 5 located upon a plate 106, Figures 2 and 19, 1

Such lifting. oi

stud 103 just referred to. A slide 107 is 1 slotted at 108 andscrews 108' extending therethrough act to guide the slide in a horizontal direction. A current conducting member 109 is secured on the slide but insulated therefrom and adjacent it is a second member 110 g body 1 and in its path of movement is an upstanding arm 110' having a stop 110 the whole being mounted on the plate 106, by means of which'the members 109 and 110 maybe separated in the manual adjustment of the said slide.

That is to say, ignoring the relation of the members 109-110 as shown in Figure 9, for

the moment, and supposing these members to be in contact, for the sake of an understanding of the manual operation, then a movement of'the slide 107 to the right will bring the angled portion of the member 110 into engagement with the-stop 110 with the result that the said member 110 will be sepa rated from the member 109 and moved to the position shown.

In order to provide for the proper position of engagement of the reproducing needle with a given record disc there is mounted on the body 1 a series of arms 113 all of which are pivoted at one end upon apost 114 upstanding from said body, Figures 1, 2 and 3. The other end of each of the arms is arranged to be placed in contact with the periphery of one of the discs or that opposite which it lies. Any suitable support for the arms may be provided such, for example,'as'a post 115 from which project rods 116, but oneof which is shown, Figures 1 and 3, it being understood that one of the said rods 116 is provided for each said arm 113. Mounted in the rear of the sound box 14 is a standard upon which is guided in suitablemanner a slide 118, there being one of these slides for each arm 113.

" Said slides 118 are frictionally held in any position placed by means of a spring actuated stud 119 carried by the standard and engaging the slide" in a well known manner, and each slide is connected with oneof the arms 113 by a rod or link 120 preferably adjustable oted a lever 125 having aroller 126 at its free end to bear upon any one of-thebeveled edges 0rd groove without loss of time.

discs now in use it is clear that a machine for reproducing them must have some means for placing the reproducing needle at a point where it will enter the starting end of the recobserved in Figure 3 that the needle arm is lo- 'cated' at approximately the proper starting position on the record disc. Also, that the roller 126 is in line with the channel 123 of one of the slides 118, which in this instance is connected with the arm 113 shown in contact with the periphery of the disc shown in the figure last referred to. The roller has passed down the incline of the slide, entered the channel and passed through and below the same It will be locating the needle properly at the start of the record groove, the needle arm being now free to move inwardly on the disc.

The relations of the leverages of the arms to the points of connection with the slides 118 is such that any given slide will have the proper position to adjust the needle arm to the disc-margin of any disc regardless ofits diameter when the arm 113 of that slide is, moved up inv contact with the'peripheryof that disc. The lever 125 is pivoted in order that as the sound box moves upwardly theroller 126 thereof in contacting with the sev-' eral slides will be permitted to pass by without damage to any of the parts by dragging over said slidesl The operation of the machine aside from with the motor in operation driving the shaft i 2 and the shaft 8, the mechanism standin in the relation shown in Figure 7,- the sha t 8 will be rotating in the-direction of the arrow of Figure 7 or counter-clockwise. This rotates the shaft 31 together with its worm 35 through the pinions 29 and 30 in a clockwise direction and in turn rotating the shaft 40 counter-clockwise through the pinion 38, gear 39 clutch members 41, 43, rotating the pinion 47 at the top of said shaft 40 and finally the segment gear 48 of the sound box but at, a speed slower than the travel of the needle in the record groove,'.the pinion 32 of the said shaft 31 rotating freely, the while, in one of the spaces 27 ofthe toothed member 23, the latter being held suspended by the latch'89', Figure 17. During the action of the shaft 8 the pinion 56 thereon also rotates the freely rotatable gear 55, of. the shaft 54, in

mesh therewith. Now, the needle upon' reaching the inner terminus .of the record groove necessarily sets up a resistance to further progress by lodging against the inner wall of the groove with the result that the said worm-wheel 36, being thus retarded due to being geared to the sound box, causes thev worm 35, in rotating with respect to it, to

back away toward the pawl 75, Figure 10, in opposition to the tension of the spring 78, Figure 9, placing one of its spurs 35 against the end thereof shifting it and the plates 70 together with the arm 72 to remove the lat ter from and to release the pawl 67" of the plate 66. The release of said pawl 67 to permit its engagement with the teeth 68 of the gear 55 thus connects the latter with the shaft 54 that carriesit. Rotation of that shaft at once swings the lever 61 by means of sive circular form maintaining such disengagement until the cycle of operations is complete. Following the lifting of the needle arm the cam 53, Figure 7, engages the lever 51 swinging it and its segment gear 49 causing the pinion 44 to be rotated in a reverse direction with the result that the needle arm is swung outwardly free of the disc-margin so that in a loweringmovement thereof with the tube 13 it will be entirely clear of the stack of .discs. The cam 53 leaves the lever 51 at this time, the shaft 40 coming to a stop. But a continued rotation of the shaft 54 carries the pin 53, of said cam 53 against the end of the lever 86, the outer or other end of the latter being in engagement with the latch 89 withdraws that member from the member 23 so that the tube 13 is free to descend. Since the pinion '32 is in position to .engage the teeth 26 of the said member 23 the descent is checked and the stead rotation of said pinion carries the tube do n until the latch 89, having one of the openings 91 brought opposite it, enters that opening and again suspends the tube with the needle arm in position to be carried upon the disc next below the one'previously reproduced. At this time the pinion is again free to rotate without result since one of. the spaces 27 of the member 23 has been positioned thereat. Now, in the descent of the tube 13 the roller 126 of the sound box has met the inclined edge of the slide 118 corresponding to the dlsc now to be engaged by the needle and the needle arm is carried to playing position ready .for a succeeding operation.

When the tube 13 has dropped to its lowest pointor limit of travel the teeth 28 in the top of the opening 24 of the member 23 engage the constantly rotating pinion 32 whereupon, the tube 13 being fixed as against-lateral motion, the pinion must travel across the opening swinging the shaft 31 and the plate 34 until the said pinion engages the teeth 25 at -which time the member 101 which up to this time has been resting upon the said plate 34,

now, in the altered position of the latter drops behind it and thus acts to positively maintain' engagement of the pinion with said teeth 25. Thetube 13'is now elevated to its highest position or until the stud 103 on the same meets the pin 100 of the member 101 shifting the latter and permitting the plate to regain its normal position and release the pinion 1 from said teeth 25. The natural descent of the tube upon being thus liberated is now checked and held by the latch 89 as before ready for further reproducing action and step-b -step descents. The latch is beveled at its ower edge as shown in order that the member 23 may ascend without interference therefrom, said latch clicking over the parts of the member 23 as said member travels past it. p

The structure employed enables me to use the machine as an ordinary one as used manually, or it may operate continuously by reproducing an entire lot of records over and over again as long as the motor is permitted to operate, or it may be made to reproduce the lot of records but once and then terminate its action. By placing the pin 92 in the notch 96,

Figure 7, which will shift the plate 34 outwardly sufliciently to maintain separation of the worm and worm wheel 35,36,respectively,

the shaft 40 will be free to turn in either diing a fixed path of travel cannot engage the trip 111 of the switch since the slide has not been advanced sufficiently to cause the breaking of the electric circuit and the machine will continue to operate indefinitely. However, a slight advance of the said slide 107 will project the trip 111 into the path of the stud 103 so that as the tube rises to its full height said stud will lift the trip and thus pass by it. In its next movement of descent the stud. will engage the trip and depress it, breaking the circuit, this latter action, of course, following the engagement of the latch 89 with the member 23. Upon withdrawing the trip manually the circuit will be closed and the machine placed in action. The machine may be checked in operation at'any time, however, by drawing back the slide'107 to cause the member 110 of the switch to'engage the stop 133 to separate-the same from the member The tube may be manually raised or lowered when it is desired to play any given record of the series by withdrawing the latch 89' by means of the lever--82 and g'rasping'a convenient handle 13' on said tube as the control member.

. The clutch arrangement for the shaft 40 provides that the needle arm will always be the arm is freely, moving across the disc the shaft 40 and pinions 47 merely follows it.'

In other words the travel of the needle is faster than the drive imparted to the shaft. But at the end of the needle-travel the segment gear 4.8 and the said pinion 47 are, in

consequence of the described action, ready' to move the needle arm outwardly upon the latter having been lifted free of the disc.

For the sake of brevity in some of the claims the term support will be employed to designate both the disc carrying shaft 2 and the tube 13. Also, in some of the claims the shaft 40 and its associated members will be designated as gearing and the shaft 54 and its parts as second gearing.

I claim: a

1. A machine of the class described including, in combination, a shaft for carrying a series of disc records. a sound box and its needle arm, a support for the sound box paralleling the shaft disposed a fixed distance therefrom, means to impart movement to the support, means to fix the support with reference to any one of the discs, and means operatively engaging the sound box adapted to oscillate it and swing its needle arm across any one of said discs adjacent to which it may be stationed.

2. A machine of the class described, including, in combination, a rotating support for carrying spaced record discs, means to rotate it, a sound box and its needle arm, a support paralleling the first named support a fixed distance therefrom, adapted to move bodily parallel to the latter, a sound box and its needle arm mounted on said second support means to impart movement to the. said second named support in either direction, means to fix the same with respect to the first named support in a position whereby the said needle arm will lie adjacent one of the record discs, and means operatively engaging the sound box adapted to swing the needle arm in either direction across a record disc.

3. A machine of the class described including a series of rotatably mounted spaced record discs, asupport adjacent the same. 'a sound box and its needle arm carried thereby, means to automatically move the support in a'line substantially paralleling the axis of rotation of the record discs, means to automatically fix the support in a given posit-ion, and means geared to the sound box to automatically move the needle arm inwardly over a disc toward the center thereof and for carrying it away from said center to the periphery of the disc.

4. A machine of the class described including a series of rotatably mounted spaced rec ord discs, a support adjacent the same, a

.sound box and its needle arm carried thereby,

means to automatically move the support in a continuous manner in a line substantially paralleling the axis of rotation of the record.

discs, means to automatically terminate such movement, means to automatically fix thesupport at the termination of said movement at a posltion where the needle arm Will take up a stationopposlte one of said dlscs, means to carry the needle arm upon the disc, and

.maticallyrelease the support, the last named means being adapted to move the support in the other direction.

6. A sound reproducing machine including a series of spaced disc records, a rotary shaft carrying them, a support adjacent to and paralleling the axis of disc rotation, a toothed rack on the support having opposed teeth, a

pinion to engage the rack adapted to move the support in a continuous travel in one direction, means to selectively engage the pinion with the rack for moving the support in either direction.

7. A sound reproducing machine including a rotatable shaft for carrying a plurality of spaced record discs, a sound box and its needle arm, a support carrying the same guided in a line paralleling the shaft, means adapted to engage and move the support in one direction in an unremitting manner and also to engage and move it ina step-by-step manner in an opposite direction, means influenc'ed by the needlearm in its travel over a record disc to cause either of such engagements, means to fix the support with respect to one of the discs atthe termination of one of such step-by-step movements, and means to operate the last named means to release said support. 7

8. A sound reproducing machine including a rotatable shaft and a plurality of record carrying members mounted thereon, a sound box and its needle arm, a support carrying the latter, continuously rotating means to engage a part of the support adapted to move it in an unremitting manner in one direction in a line paralleling the shaft, and likewise adapted to engage another'part thereof for imparting a step-by-step movement to'the support in the other direction, means in fiuenced by the needle arm to cause engagement of the first named means with one of said parts, means to automatically fix the support with respect to one of the record members intermediate two of the step-by-step movements, and means to operate the last named means to release the support.

9. A sound reproducing machine including in its construction, together with a plurality of record discs, rotatable means carrying them, a sound box and needle arm, a support for said sound box, means to guide it in a,

line paralleling the axis of rotation of said discs, operating means to engage and auto-,

rality of rotatable record discs, a sound-box and needle arm, a support for said sound box,

' means to guide it in a line paralleling the axis of rotation of said discs, operating means to automatically engage 'and advance the support in its guide in either of two directions to a given station, means to terminate the advancing movement means to positively engage and control the-needle arm for positively advancing it entirely across the record disc during the reproduction period through said operating means, and means influenced by the needle arm and cooperating with the last named means and said operating means. to lift theneedle arm and swing it clear of the disc.

11. A sound reproducing machine including, in combination, a series of sound'record discs rotatable on a common axis,a sound boxand its needle arm, a support movable in a line paralleling the axis of rotation of the discs and supporting the sound box thereon,

operating means to automatically engage the support adapted for mparting movement to it in elther of two directions, means'to disengage the said operating means. from the support at any predetermined position of the latter with respect to the'discs, means lying in the path-of the needle'arm to locate it on the margin of a disc means to positively move the 'arm across the disc toward the disc-center,

during the'r'eproduction period, and means cooperating with the operating means and influenced by the needle arm when reaching the inner end of a record groove for lifting the said needle arm, the said means for moving the arm inwardlyalso being adapted to move the disc.

12. A sound reproducing machmemcludthe arm outwardly beyond the periphery of ing a series of record discs rotatable upon a common axis, a sound box and needle arm, a support to carry the latter movable in a line paralleling the said axis, means to impart movement to the support, means to terminate such movement at a given position whereby the needle arm will lie at substantially the reproducing position at a given disc, means to automatlcally locate the needle arm above a disc-margin, means to raise and lower. the

needle arm with respect to the surface of the disc, and means by which to carry the arm positively toward the disc-center and to carry it positively outward from said disc-center.

13. The combination in a sound reproducing machine including a record disc, a sound box and needle arm mounted and adapted to swing in a plane paralleling the plane of the disc, of means carrying the sound bomadaptaxis of disc rotation, and means lying in the path of a part of the sound box adapted,

ed to move the same in a line parallel to the when met by the latter in its travel, to en age and cause the same to swing-toward the isccenter but arranged to cause the needle arm to take up a position at the margin of the disc, 14. In a sound reproducing machine, the combination with a member having a record groove therein, a sound box, and a stylus adaptedlto approach the'recordgroove. in a direction at right angles to the surface with which said stylus' is to have contact, and a member having an inclined surface adapted to be placed in adjusted positions in the path of a part of the sound boxadapted to guide the stylus into the starting end of the record groove.

15. In a sound reproducing machine, the

combination with a record disc, and a sound box and needle arm adapted for movement in adirection at right angles to the plane of said disc, of means lying in the path of an extension of said sound box in one direction .of. its movement having a downwardly inclined surface to receive said extension terminating in an open channel-member, and adapted to be disposed with-respect to the disc whereby the extension in passing through said channel-member will locate the needle arm at the starting end of the groove of said record I extension of said sound ox in one direction of its movement having a downwardly in-' clined surface to receive said-extension terminating in an open channel-member, and adapted to be disposed-, with respect'to the disc whereby the extension in passingthrough ,said channel member.

17. The combination in a sound reproducing machine including a record disc, :1 sound box and needle arm adapted to swing parallel to the plane of the disc, of means to carry and move said arm in a line parallel to the axis of disc rotation, and means adjustable with respect to the path of move ment last'described and having an inclined surface to receive an extension of the sound box and terminating in a channel to receive into it said extension and out of which the latter is adapted to pass.

18. The combination in a sound reproducing machine, including a record disc, a sound box and needle arm, of means to carry and move the said sound box and needle arm in a line parallel to the axis of disc rotation, means lying in the path of an extension of the sound box having a downwardly inclined surface to receive the same and terminating in an open channel member to receive said extension through and out of which it is adapted to pass, and means to adjust said means.

19. A sound-reproducing machine including in combination with a shaft and a series of record discs thereon, a sound box and needle arm, a vertically movable support for said sound box, said sound box and needle arm being adapted to swing in two planes lying at right angles to one another, a line of teeth on the support arranged longitudinally thereof in spaced series, a constantly rotating pinion normally in one of the spaces between two adjacent spaced series of the teeth, driving mech nism, a latch to fix the support with respec to one of the discs, means influenced by the needle arm when and as it reaches thelimit of its travel toward the center of adisc, and having engagement with the sound box, adapted to swing the needle arm'toward and outside the disc margin, and means cooperating with the driving mechanism adapted for operating the latch to release the support permitting it to carry one of the series of teeth into engagement with the pinion, said latch being adapted to reengage and fix the support'inposition when and'as a succeeding space between the spaced series of teeth arrives opposite said pinion.

20. A sound reproducing machine including, in combination, the body of the machine,

a support guided vertically therein, as'ound box and its needle arm mounted on said support, a series of teeth carried by the support disposed in a line extending laterally of the same, teeth disposed in a line extending longitudinally of the support, power mechanism mounted in the body including a pinion adapted to engage the teeth but normally disengaged therefrom, a latch engaging the sup port to fix it with respect to the body, means influenced by the needle arm to withdraw the latch through the instrumentality of saidpower mechanism to release the support and permit the laterally disposed teeth to move into engagement with the said pinion, the latter through said power mechanism being thereby moved into engagement with the longitudinally disposed line of teeth for elevating the support therethrough, a member for maintaining engagement of the pinion and the last named teeth during the elevating action, a stud movable with the support to shift the member, and means to disengage the pin-:

ion from the teeth.

21. A sound reproducing machine Includmg in combination with a series of spaced rotatable record discs, a support arranged for l the end of its travel toward the disc-center adapted to lift the said needle arm, means to swing the arm away from the disc-center, and means to retract the latch to permit the sup,- port to engage said driving means.

22. A sound reproducing machine including, in combination, a support, a mountingtherefo-r in which it is adapted to shift in opposite directions, said support having opposing lines of teeth extending longitudinally thereof facing one another and also having teeth extending laterally thereof at one end of and disposed between thesaid opposing lines of teeth, constantly operating mecha- .nism including a swingable shaft and a pinion disposed between the opposite lines of teeth adapted to be engaged with either series thereof but normally disengaged therefrom, aswingable plate carrying the shaft, a latch to fix the support in a given position in one of its directions of travel, and a member to automatically engage behind the plate for holding the pinion in engagement with one of the said series ofteeth when said pinion is moved ,into such engagement.

23. A sound reproducing machine includng, n combination, a support capable of aroeeev therefrom, a swingable support for the shaft, a latch to fix the support in a given position, a member to automatically engage behind the plate for holding the pinion in engagement with one of the said series when said pinion is moved to such engagement, afspring constantly urging the plate ina direction to disengage the pinion, and a stud on the support to engage and move themember to release the plate during the travel of the supportin one direction.

24. A sound reproducing machine including, in combination, a series of record discs, a movable support guided in a line parallel to the axis of .disc rotation, a soundbox and l needle arm mounted on the support, a series of teeth extending along the support arranged in a line parallel to the line of travel thereof, a pinion for engaging the teeth, driving mechanism therefor, gearing operatively engaging the needle arm to swing the same and influenced by said arm, a worm rotatable with the pinion with-which said gearing is engageable, a second gearing operated by said driving mechanism, means engageable with a part of the second gearing and with the sound box-adapted to tilt the latter and lift the needle arm and also adapted to disengage the worm from the first named gearing, a latch to fix the support in a given position in its line of travel, and a lever operated by the said second gearing to retract the latch for releasing the support carrying the teeth thereof upon the pinion. 25. A soundreproducing machine including in combination with the machine body, a support guided thereinadaptedto travel in opposite directions in a direct line, a sound box and needle arm mounted thereon, and au-, tomatically operated mechanism adapted to be brought into operative engagement with the same for separately imparting an unremitting movement automatically and positively to such support in one direction, and for imparting an intermittent movement thereto'in an opposite direction.

' 26. A sound reproducing machine including in its construction, in combination with a series of spaced rotatable record discs, a support capable of movin 1n a line parallel to the axis of rotation of t e discs, means for iding the support 1n its movement, a sound ox and needle arm carried by the support, operating mechanism to adjust the support for locating the needle arm opposite a isc, means operatively connected to the needle arm capable of moving the latter across the disc in either direction, and means both for lifting the'needle of the arm out of the record groove and for permitting it to enter the same.

2?. A sound reproducin ing in combination a soun machine includbox, a traveling sup ort carrying the same, two series of gear.

teet on the support in opposed positions, a

to guide gearing for groups of teeth clear of the pinion,

posite directions,

"mentwith respect thereto,

'for the same, guide means in which the support is adapted to travel in opposite directions, twp series of teeth on the support in opposed positions, a shaft extending betweenthe two series of teeth, a pinion thereon, by the pinion may mesh with either series of teeth, gearing to drive the shaft, and means operated by the gearing to automatically swing the shaft to move the pinion away fromthe line of one series of teeth, said pinion being free to be engaged with the other of the series of teeth.

29. A sound reproducing mechanism including a main frame, a, sound box, a support for the latter adapted to move by gravity in one direction, means mounted on the frame the support, twosets of opposed gear teeth on the support, one of. said series being divided into spaced groups, a shaft mounted to swing between the parallel lines of the teeth, a pinion thereon, means for maintaining said pinion in position for engaging. any one o the said groups of teeth, imparting a continuous drive to the shaft, a latch on the main frame in consaid shaft being mounted to swing wheretrol of the support for positioning the spaced and means operated by said gearing to actuate the latch and permit the support to move to permitone of said groups of teeth to engage said pinion.

' 30. A sound reproducing machine including in its constructiona frame, a'su'pport ided therein adapted to move in two opa sound box mounted on support having an inverted gear teeth ara shaft the support, said U-shaped opening therein, ranged therein in two opposed lines, extending between the two lines of teeth and I mounted to swing laterally, a pinion mounted on the shaft, power gearing driving the continuously in one direcshaft" and pinion to normally hold the shaft tion, and means with its pinion in position to mesh with one of the series of teeth, said support in one direction. of its travel being supported on the rotating-pinion and being moved in the other direction by said pinion.

31. A sound reproducingmachin'e including in its construction a frame, a support thereon adapted for a reciprocating movea series of teeth on the support arranged in the form of a U, a

shaft mounted to swing between the two lines of teeth, a pinion thereon to engage the said teeth, and gearing to rotate the shaft and pinion, the saidsupport in one direction of its travel being supported on the rotating pinion, and positively moved in the other direction of its travel by the same, said pinion moving from one of the parallel lines of teeth to the other by its engagement, during rotation, with the teeth intermediate the said parallel lines of teeth. 7

'32. A sound reproducing machine includin in its construction a frame, a support guided-thereon in a vertical line having a series of' spaced groups of teeth arranged in a parallel line to the line of travel of said support, a shaft mounted on the'frame including a pinion stationed in position to engage the said teeth, a latch for fixing the support at any one of several elevations whereby the-pinion will lie in a space between adjacentgroups of the teeth, gearing to drive the shaft and its pinion, and means operated by the gearing to disengage the latch for releasing the support permitting the teeth of the latter to descend upon said pinion.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.-

WILLIAM E. BIRKET. 

